The town of Battleford continued efforts towards saving the old St. Vital Church at their Sept. 6 meeting.
Council approved by a 4-2 vote the award of the contract for the old St. Vital Church roof to Shel-Ter Construction for $11,025.
Three contractors had submitted bids in the request for proposals, all of them coming in with competitive pricing.
Shel-Ter was the lowest tender bid, but also offered a lifetime warranty, it was noted by Mayor Chris Odishaw.
Enough councillors were swayed to support the roofing project, with supporters including Mayor Odishaw recognizing the historic role St. Vital Church has played in the community. Councillors Cameron Duncan and Donna Lavin cast the two "no" votes at the meeting.
The future of the aging church, built in 1883, had been the topic of considerable discussion in the town of Battleford for the last several months.
While the long-term future of the structure remains uncertain, most of council came around to the view last fall that efforts towards saving the structure should continue, with re-shingling and stabilizing the roof being the most pressing priority.
